The present invention relates generally to two part buckles having interconnecting male and female components used on clothing, sporting gear, luggage, safety equipment and the like.
Buckles are known for use in many different constructions, including, for example, clothing, sporting gear, luggage, safety and other equipment and the like. Two-part buckle assemblies are known in a variety of different constructions. In a two-part buckle, cooperating first and second buckle parts are provided with structure having interlocking components, allowing releasable locking engagement of the components.
For a two-part buckle, it is known to provide a female buckle component attached to one part of an article, and a male buckle component attached to another part of the article. For example, the female component may be anchored to a bag or luggage, and the male component attached directly to a lid, cover or flap of the bag or luggage. Alternatively, one or both of the components may be attached to a strap or the like. It is known also to provide the male and female components on opposite ends of a strap or belt, or on separate straps of articles to be connected together. The female buckle component defines a chamber or pocket having one or more windows. The male buckle component includes one or more arms slidable into the pocket, with projections of the arms extending in to each window defined in the female buckle component. Engagement of the projections from the arms in the windows of the pocket serves to lock the two parts together. Disengagement is achieved by pressing the projections out of the windows, while pulling the male and female components apart. Pressing the projections deflects the arms, and the thickness and resilience of the arms directly affect the resistance to disengagement of the male and female buckle parts.
Two-part buckles also are used on adjustable straps such as sport helmet straps, shoulder and waist straps of backpacks, bags and the like. To provide straps of adjustable length, one or both of the buckle parts can be secured to the strap it anchors by a serpentine wrapping of the strap through two or more bars of the buckle part. The remaining buckle part can be attached to the strap it anchors by simple wrapping and sewing, if length adjustability is required for only one buckle part.
A problem can be experienced with two-part buckles when tensile load is applied to the buckle, normally through the straps. Buckles on shoulder straps of bags, for example, can experience a slow increase in tensile load, as the bag is lifted by one or more straps. The buckle also will experience sustained, relatively constant tensile load if the bag is carried or held with the strap or straps supporting the weight of the bag. The buckle also can experience shock load if the bag, for example, is jerked or tugged from a support. Sporting equipment, safety equipment and other such applications may exert such shock load forces as a result of their intended use. Such loads are applied directly against the locking features of the male and female buckle components. The buckle components must be sufficiently robust to withstand such forces without breaking or become disengaged unintentionally. However, simply making the arm or arms of the male buckle component stiffer or thicker to resist breaking can make it unacceptably resistant to intentional deflection for intended disengagement of the buckle. To make the buckle easier to operate, the arms can be made longer. However, the resulting increased buckle size is undesirable in some applications and uses.
What is needed in the art is a two-part buckle structure that can absorb shock loads and resist sustained or more gently increasing loads without breaking.
The present invention provides springing structure integral with the structure of the buckle parts so that loads exerted thereon can be absorbed.
In one form thereof, the present invention provides a two-part buckle with a female buckle part defining a pocket and including a first strap securing structure. A male buckle part includes a forward portion insertable into the pocket, and a second strap securing structure. The female buckle part and the male buckle part define cooperative, releasable locking structure, and springing structure for absorbing load exerted on the locking structure.
In another form thereof, the present invention provides a male buckle part for a two-part buckle having a female buckle part defining a pocket having lateral windows and a slot. The male buckle part has a body and first and second spaced arms extending from the body and adapted and arranged for sliding into and out of the pocket in the female buckle part. The arms have lateral projections received in the windows. A brace between the arms is connected to each arm near the body, and has a central portion angling away from the body.
In still another form thereof, the present invention provides a strap securing structure for a device to be held on a strap, including a deflectable portion about which a strap can be wrapped, adapted for yielding to load applied against the strap securing structure by a strap secured thereto, and a less deflectable portion associated with the deflectable portion to be jointly wrapped therewith by a strap.
An advantage of the present invention is providing buckle parts that can better absorb forces such as tensile load applied thereto through attached straps, without breaking or disconnecting.
Another advantage of the present invention is providing a male buckle part for a two-part buckle with stronger arms less likely to break, yet which can be deflected readily for operation and use of the buckle.
Still another advantage of the present invention is providing a buckle design that uses material efficiently, is compact and provides increased load bearing capabilities for the size of the buckle.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like features.